Professor David Kirkby grew up in England and Canada and obtained degrees at the University of Toronto and Caltech. He joined the UCI faculty in 2001 after a research position at Stanford. At UCI, he first studied subtle differences between matter and antimatter using particle accelerators. Today, he uses optical telescopes to map the influences of dark matter and dark energy on the Universe. In addition to his research in particle physics and cosmology, Professor Kirkby has a joint appointment in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

He also collaborates with social scientists and engineers at UCI to help consumers learn about their electricity use at home.